Open-Ended Game with Visual Art to Develop Creativity Culture in Early Childhood

(1)

Open-Ended Game with Visual Art to Develop Creativity Culture in Early Childhood

Nur Budhi Cahyani*, Widia Winata, Happy Indira Dewi Master Program of Educational Technology

University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta Jakarta, Indonesia

*nur.budhi.cahyani@gmail.com, widia.winata@umj.ac.id, happy.indiradewi@gmail.com

Abstract—Early Childhood Education in Indonesia is mostly oriented to intellectual intelligence, and does not maximize children's creativity. Although there are already art centers as a place for young children to learn art, but the learning strategies at these art centers are still conventional. Whereas a reliable learning strategy can enhance the culture of creativity in creating art, for early childhood as an embryo of the nation's generation in the 4.0 era. This research, limited to observe on learning strategies at the art centers, focuses on visual arts. Research locations at Tunas Mentari Kindergarten in South Tangerang, the object of research were 8 children. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of the culture of creativity in early childhood, can be developed with guided learning strategies and open ended learning strategies. The research method used qualitative descriptive methods. The results of this study found, guided learning strategies produce children's visual art work, the same and similar to those exemplified by his teacher. Whereas with the open-ended learning strategy, producing varied visual art works and fostering the courage to be creative. The implication of this research is using open-ended learning strategies, at the arts centers, can develop a culture of creativity in early childhood in producing work.

Keywords: open-ended, visual art, creativity, early childhood I. INTRODUCTION

Indonesia needs creative workers in the future who are able to make a meaningful contribution to science, technology and arts, and prosperity to the nation. Creativity is not just luck but it is hard work that is realized. Creative culture can be started by fostering creativity in early childhood.

Based on Minister of National Education and Culture regulation 137 of 2014 on Early Childhood Education standards, early childhood education has 6 (six) aspects of development namely art, religion and morals, social-emotional, physical motoric, cognitive, and language [1]. From six aspects, the development of art looks the most often overlooked, because to enter elementary school the ability of children in the arts is often considered unimportant. So that

early childhood education is less than the maximum in carrying out artistic activities, so the creative culture of early childhood does not develop optimally.

Many researchers identified the importance and benefits of the art in young children’s lives. Artistic learning and aesthetic experience are among the most sophisticated aspects of human action and feeling. It is also been noted that the arts play a vital role in the development of the child. Before the children learn to read and write, they draw, sing and dance. In fact people believe that art is children’s first literacy [2].

Early childhood education in Indonesia uses a centre system. Although there are already art centre as a place for young children to learn art, but the learning strategies at these art centres are still conventional. Whereas a reliable learning strategy can enhance the culture of creativity in creating art, for early childhood as an embryo of the nation's generation in the 4.0 era.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

Childhood period is playtime period, therefore educational activities in kindergarten are provided through play while learning and learning while playing. Benet, Finn, Crib in Sujiono explained that basically the development of play activities programs is the development of a number of learning experiences through play activities that can enrich children's experiences about various things, such as ways of thinking about themselves, responding to questions, and can provide arguments for finding alternatives [3].

Games can be led (directed by the teacher) or in the form of free play (initiated by children). The following Integrated Pedagogical Model shows and enables the elements of playing activities initiated by the child and directed by the teacher. This model explains that play in early childhood is always composed to some degree by the environment inside and outside the room, curriculum, the ratio of adults: children, available sources of play, rules, and values, beliefs and practices of adults [4].

Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 419 2nd International Conference on Arts and Design Education (ICADE 2019)

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license -http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. 42

(2)

Fig. 1. Integrated pedagogical model.

Zone goals directed at adults are seen in the repetitive circle of planning the play/learning environment, interacting with children, spanning activities, observing, pondering, evaluating, and returning to the next plan. In zones initiated by children, play activities are freely chosen. Children will practice imagination, control and choose with little direct intervention from adults, and there is no pressure on the product or outcome. Guided play has a specific purpose and the teacher directs the child, while free play does not have a specific purpose but can develop children's creativity.

Ideally to develop creativity in early childhood, it can be through a learning approach that is packaged through free play activities with an open-ended game method using visual art media to enhance early childhood creativity. Children are given visual art objects to play and create something. The result of learning open-ended games is that children can use imagination and creativity, improve their ability to solve problems, not afraid of making mistakes, increase their confidence and freedom of thought, and dare to make decisions.

In order for learning to be in line with goals and objectives, therefore an appropriate, interesting and fun learning strategies are needed. In the classroom, the teacher needs a number of learning strategies. The success or failure of learning depends on the strategy made by the teacher. Learning strategies must be interesting, creative and in accordance with the objectives.

Strategy is a pattern that is planned and determined deliberately to carry out activities or actions [5]. The quality of learning can be improved by qualified learning strategies.

Components of a learning strategy that is the order of learning, methods, media and time, components that are closely related to improving the way of learning are learning methods [6]. The ability of teacher to teach is one aspect of the cause of the low level of achievement of child development. Qualified teachers in carrying out learning as an instructional system, learning is a unit of several factor: children characteristic, learning

objectives, materials, learning activities (methods, tools, sources), and assessment [7].

The learning strategy used is an open-ended game.

Learning with an open-ended approach begins with giving an open problem with an open development method. An open- ended game is something that has no purpose and is not limited to one objective. There are no rules to follow, no expectations, no specific problems to solve, and no pressure to produce a final product. Conversely, closed-ended play has the specified outcome, the right answer, and limits individual differences [8].

Open ended means not having a fixed answer, unrestricted.

The children themselves decide what to do, how to do it, and what to use. These are objects that have many uses and endless possibilities. There are no exceptions, no specific problem to solve, no rule to follow, and no pressure to produce a finished project. It’s about free play. Open-ended play important because: allows children to use their imagination and creativity, helps develop trial and error and problem-solving skills, children have no fear of doing it wrong since there is no right method or outcome, open-ended play gives children a sense of freedom and self-confidence, they must make their own choices and learn to responsible and self-directed [9].

Open-ended games give children complete freedom so they can develop creativity without pressure and binding rules and are more responsible. Open-ended is a learning process in which the goals and desires of children are built and achieved openly.

Teacher must be able to provide inexpensive and efficient tools that is simple, but still effective in achieving the expected goals. Like for example used goods or goods that exist in nature. Games that do not include open-ended: craft kits, colouring books, puzzles and board games, and battery toys.

Open-ended games are usually in the form of visual art creativity games. Visual art is a branch of art that produces works of art which the shape and quality can be felt by the human senses, especially the sense of sight and sense of touch.

[10].

The steps of the open-ended learning model are [11]:

 Facing children to open problems.

 Guiding children to find patterns in constructing their own problems.

 Letting children solve problems with various solutions and diverse answers.

 Asking children to present their findings in the form of various strategies or methods obtained to solve a given problem.

Teachers can give children time to observe other children who are playing open-ended games. Over time, visual art creativity will emerge. Children will be more confident in developing ideas. Maulana was quoted by Nenden, Creativity is the ability to express new relationships, see a problem from a new perspective, and form new combinations of several concepts that have been mastered before, are practical and come up with unusual but useful solutions [12].

Planning the environment

Assessing, Planned Pondering, activity Evaluating + Adult Observing roles

Activities

Guided activity by adult

Initiated activity by children

Structured play

Free play Working/Not

playing

Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 419

43

(3)

Creativity can be developed by taking account into family, school and community environment factors. But no less important is the freedom and psychological security in children to develop conditions for the development of creativity. In the school environment the conditions that influence are the teacher accepts the child as he is, the child does not feel threatened, understand the thoughts, behaviour of the child so that the teacher can be in the child's situation and see from the child's point of view [13].

Teacher must acknowledge that the open-ended is site for creativity. In visual art activities, children will access and utilize art media as a way to communicate and connect to the world. Children also growing in confidence with everyday experience such as oral language, having new capabilities for developing knowledge, symbolism, representation and should be offered artistic opportunities and other holistic development.

[14].

III. RESEARCH METHODS

The research method used descriptive qualitative methods.

The purpose of qualitative research is to seek and find understanding or comprehending an existing phenomenon.

Data collected is based on interviews, field notes, photos and videos [15]. The research location was at Tunas Mentari Kindergarten in South Tangerang with 8 children as the research object. Research time was on April - June 2019.

Tunas Mentari Kindergarten has 7 centres, namely: art centres, natural material centres, physical exercise centres, worship centres, preparation centres, beam centres and role playing centres. This research, limited to learning in art centres, focuses on visual art. Art centre is a centre whose activities consist of hand skills such as folding, cutting, glue, crafts, painting, and carpentry. This centre is intended to develop children's skills [16].

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The art centre which is expected to be a place for the growth of creativity in children turns out sometimes does not appear as expected because of the factors in the learning strategies used by the teacher. The learning strategies used are guided learning strategies and open-ended learning strategies.

A. Guided Learning Strategy

The advantages of guided learning strategies are indicators of learning more quickly visible, faster and easier assessment.

The drawback is student creativity is not seen. In the guided learning strategy, the lesson plan is made with definite rules from the teacher, with the goal according to the indicators to be achieved and the child is asked to follow the rules made by the teacher so that the indicators are achieved.

1) Activity 1: Make a prayer rug from flannel: The teacher prepares the shape of the wall, the dome of the mosque, the door of the mosque. Then the teacher gave an example by sticking it on a large flannel sheet so it became a prayer mat.

Children work by following the teacher's instructions.

Children's work is the same as the teacher's example.

Fig. 2. Children’s creation using guided learning strategy.

2) Activity 2: Shape faces from the geometry of circles and triangles: The teacher prepares a brown paper bag, attaches triangular and circle shaped geometry pieces and then forms a face. Children work by following the teacher's instructions.

Children's work is the same as the teacher's example.

Fig. 3. Children’s creation using guided learning strategy (Shape faces from the geometry).

In the guided learning strategy, the teacher prepares the media to be used and then explains how to do the activity.

After that the child is permitted to work in accordance to the example given by the teacher. Children's work is almost the same or exactly the same as the teacher exemplified. The lessons were designed based on what the teacher wants [17].

Children's creativity is not seen because in this learning strategy the child works according to the teacher's instructions.

B. Open-Ended Learning Strategy

The advantage of open-ended learning strategies is that students' creativity is clearly visible and students' independence is seen in choosing material. The disadvantage is that it takes longer to do the work. In the open-ended learning strategy, the lesson plan is made with the objectives according to the indicators to be achieved but the child is given complete freedom in implementing it, the teacher only prepares the media to be used. After that the child is permitted to work with full freedom.

1) Activity 1: Make 3-dimensional creations with used items: The teacher prepares plastic bottle caps, used plastic bottles, ice cream sticks, glue, and box.

44

(4)

Fig. 4. Children creation using open ended strategy (Three-dimensional creations with used items).

The activity of making creations from used goods shows that, with the selection of the same media, children make different creations.

2) Activity 2: 2-dimensional creation shaping animals from geometry pieces: The teacher prepares triangles, circles, squares, rectangles in various colors.

Fig. 5. Children’s two-dimensional creation using open ended strategy (giraffe).

Fig. 6. Children’s two-dimensional creation using open ended strategy (cat).

When the teacher gives the child an animal theme, some children choose to make the same animal, but the results look diverse and different from each other. Children's creativity is seen because children work with their desires and creativity.

Children come up with new rules, and goals, explore different interaction opportunities. Children can play with freely in many different configurations [18].

V. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

The results of this study found that guided learning strategy produce visual art works of children who are the same and similar to those exemplified by their teacher. Whereas with the open-ended learning strategy, children were producing varied

visual art works and fostering the courage to be creative. The implication of this research is that using open-ended learning strategy at the arts centre can develop creativity in early childhood in producing creation.

In order for creative culture to be developed in early childhood, teachers are expected to liberate children during activities in the classroom, especially at the arts centre by providing clear rules such as making something without copying the work of others, respecting the work of others and tidying up the work. The teacher needs to encourage the children so that the children believe that they can be creative.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Our gratitude goes to the Ministry of Research and Higher Education for funding this research.

REFERENCES

[1] Permendikbud 137 tahun 2014 tentang standar Nasional Anak Usia Dini.

[2] G. Barton, “Art based education research in early years,” International Research in Early Childhood Education, vol. 6, no. 1, p. 62, 2015.

[3] Y.N. Sujiono, Bermain kreatif berbasis kecerdasan jamak. Jakarta:

Indeks, 2010, p. 16.

[4] P. Broadhead, J. Howard, and E. Woods, Bermain dan belajar pada usia dini: dari penelitian ke praktik. London: Indeks, 2017, p. 27.

[5] A. Majid, Strategi pembelajaran. Bandung: PT Remaja Rosdakarya, 2016, p. 3.

[6] H.I. Dewi, “Alternatif metode kreatif untuk pembelajaran desain arsitektur menghadapi era 4.0,” IKRAITH-humaniora, vol. 2, no. 3, November 2018.

[7] N. Kurniah and D. Andreswari, “Achievement of development of early childhood based on national education standard,” Advanced in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, vol. 295, p. 353, 2018.

[8] https://busylittlebunnies.com/2016/02/08/open-ended-play-date [9] https://southgatemedallion.blogspot.com/2013/05/open-ended-

materials.html?m=1

[10] https://www.maxmanroe.com/vid/umum/seni-rupa.html

[11] M. Huda, Model-model pengajaran dan pembelajaran: isu-isu metodis dan paradigmatis. Yogyakarta: Pustaka pelajar, 2013, p. 144.

[12] F. Nenden, “Pendekatan open ended untuk meningkatkan kemampuan berpikir kreatif matematis dan kepercayaan diri anak,” Jurnal Pena Ilmiah, vol. 1, p. 1063, 2016.

[13] A. Susanto, Pendidikan anak usia dini (konsep dan teori). Jakarta: Bumi Aksara, 2017, p. 87.

[14] K. Jenson, “Early childhood: learning through visual art,” He kupu the world, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 75-76, 2018.

[15] L.J. Meleong, Metodologi penelitian kualitatif. Bandung: Rosdakarya, 2013, p. 11.

[16] Y.N. Sujiono, Bermain kreatif berbasis kecerdasan jamak. Jakarta:

Indeks, 2010, p. 81.

[17] W. Winata, “Developing activities of children’s learning through homeschooling,” International Journal of Multidiciplinary Research, vol.

4, no. 12, pp. 28-31, 2017.

[18] L. de valk, T. Bekker, and B. Eggen, “Designing for social interaction in Open ended play environtment,” International jounal of design, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 107, 2015.

45